On Tuesday, March 28, 2000, at 1:35 PM, staff members at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center experienced a total blackout in the OR. The power loss resulted from a fire in the electrical vault on the first floor of the hospital. Lighting and air conditioning systems were shut down in almost every area of the main building. The fire melted the circuit breaker panel and completely halted electrical distribution throughout the hospital. Although the electrical meter continued to have power, electricity could not be transferred throughout the building. The surgical suite, postoperative anesthesia care unit, spinal cord unit, critical care units, and other patient care areas were affected. This article describes how staff members at our facility initiated our disaster plan and the improvements we later made to this plan to better maintain quality patient care.